Updated August 22, 2021. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The Rundown:
Best Overall: TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS
“The SIM2 MAX OS are an exceptional set that reduces vibration for terrific feel, more forgiveness, and boosts distance and strength through the golf ball to golfers with high handicappers and beginning golfers. If you are looking to continue your improvement as a golfer, the SIM2 MAX OS really delivers excellent shot-making ability.“
Best For Distance: TaylorMade M4 Iron Set
“With patented technology, the M4 will increase distance, boost your launch angle, soft entry shots, and provide max forgiveness for less sidespin.”
Longest Irons: Callaway Golf Men's Rogue Irons Set
“This Iron Set can change your game overnight – these are some of the longest, highest, and most forgiving irons we’ve ever played. It gives extra bounce and distance at impact.“
In today’s market, there’s a nearly overwhelming selection of different iron sets.
So how does the amateur golfer know where to start?
The #1 criteria for an amateur golfer’s iron set should be how forgiving it is.
A good round of golf is when you can hit three shots that turn out exactly like you envision them before you swing the club.
When even Hogan is satisfied by a mere 3 good shots per round, the average amateur will mis-hit the ball more often than not.
So a set of forgiving irons that can turn a poor swing into a decent shot is a must.
We’ve spent the last 3 months reviewing almost every iron set available on the market and found the most forgiving iron. Read on to find out more.
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Last updated on 2021-09-17. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
Most Forgiving Irons in 2021
Here are the most forgiving irons:
- Best Overall: TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS
- Best For Distance: TaylorMade M4 Iron Set
- Longest Irons: Callaway Golf Men's Rogue Irons Set
- Forgiving Iron Set for Mid Handicappers: TaylorMade SIM Max Irons
- Aptly Named, Excellent Clubs: Cleveland Launcher CBX Iron Set
- Best Forgiving Iron Set for Beginning Golfers: Callaway X Hot Iron Set
- Most Forgiving Irons for Mid Handicappers: TaylorMade SIM MAX OS Irons
- Best Iron/Hybrid Option for Mid Handicappers: TaylorMade SIM MAX Combo Set
TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS
Most Forgiving Irons: Great sound, forgiveness and feel make for one of the best sets on the market
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KEY FEATURES
- ECHO Damping System reduces vibration for terrific feel
- Forgiving face shape with oversized head and broad sweet spot
- Cap Back Design boosts distance and strength through the golf ball
The latest iron set from the SIM2 MAX series provides even more forgiveness for high handicappers and beginning golfers. With a full suite of popular TaylorMade features, the SIM2 MAX OS irons stand out for their large sweet spots along the face, extended distance, and improved feel and responsiveness.
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The best feature on these irons is the Cap Back Design. The feature increases strength across the face by stiffening the head using lightweight steel.
Along with the ECHO Damping System that reduces vibration, the SIM2 MAX Irons will straighten your shots and provide the best feel on the market for game-improvement level irons.
TaylorMade M4 Iron Set
Best For Distance: High-tech at every turn
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KEY FEATURES
- Excellent distance
- Very solid feel
The TaylorMade M4 Irons are bursting at the seams with new ideas and materials that TaylorMade hopes will make the ball fly further and straighter than ever.
They do produce great distance when you put a good swing on them.
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RIBCOR technology
From the rear, the clubs look a bit like Frankenstein’s monster due to the RIBCOR technology that makes the sole look almost detached from the clubface. This has a purpose, but it doesn’t look great.
Forward-thinking technology
In regards to the iron’s tech, I can’t argue with it. They’ve redistributed weight to the sole of the club and made the face thin and springy, which helps get the launch angle high. The sharp leading edge cuts through the rough nicely. TaylorMade claims RIBCOR stiffens the perimeter of the iron and helps with sound and feel, but I felt that the sound was somehow off; it was clunky even on well-struck shots.
I think they’re heading in the right direction and with a little tidying up on a few design elements, TaylorMade has a real winner on their hands.
We have also reviewed the driver version of the TaylorMade M4.
Callaway Golf Men’s Rogue Golf Irons Set
The Longest Forgiving Irons: Runaway distance, but rocky feel
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KEY FEATURES
- Great distance
- Confidence-inspiring look
Callaway Golf Men's Rogue Irons Set is designed with urethane behind the ultra-thin clubface that is intended to give extra bounce and distance at impact. These golf irons are no different: they’re about as long as any golf irons I’ve hit, with a nice penetrating trajectory.
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Muted feel, muted forgiveness
Forgiveness is sacrificed a bit here, as missing the sweet spot produces a thudd-y clank sound and a ball flight that leaves a little to be desired. The satisfying snap I’m used to hearing from Callaway irons is a little deficient here.
Overall, the golf irons just feel extra stiff, like they’re fighting the ball instead of just hitting it. I found them remarkably easy to work from right to left and left to right, and they do look great. Squaring them at approach and nestling the golf irons behind the ball inspires a confident swing.
Face gains, tungsten toe
The remarkable distance is a result of their Face Cup and Variable Face Technology that expands the springy area of the super-thin clubface. A tungsten weight in the toe puts the center of gravity in a low, forward spot to help get the ball up in the air quickly. However, I’ve found that tungsten is often the culprit in an iron that feels too stiff and sounds clanky.
They do what they can to temper the sound with a pillow of urethane microspheres in the hollow space behind the clubface. I shudder to think of what they’d sound like without the urethane padding!
Strong lofts
The last thing Callaway has done to max out distance is to strength the loft of every iron. The 3-iron is 18 degree, which in years past would be called a 1- or 2-iron. The pitching wedge is 44 degrees, the loft of a Mizuno 9-iron. This might be why they fly so far but don’t have the forgiveness you’re expecting from the iron you’re hitting.
But if you’re looking for breakout distance, the Rogues are hard to beat.
TaylorMade SIM Max Irons
Forgiving Iron Set for Mid Handicappers
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KEY FEATURES
- Ultra thin face makes the golf irons fast for maximum distance and exceptional shot shaping
- Highly forgiving with perimeter weighting that keeps the golf ball along your target line
- Speed pocket stabilizes lower half of the face for increased ball speed and enhanced forgiveness
The TaylorMade SIM Max Irons offer terrific forgiveness with a stylish design and exceptional performance. The golf irons don’t waste an ounce of material as the streamlined design delivers everything to the golf ball in an energetic and exciting package.
These irons feature many of TaylorMade’s most popular technologies. The Speed Pocket sits directly behind the face for increased ball speed while enhancing forgiveness on lower half strikes.
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All irons are bonded with the company’s Speed Bridge technology along the back of the club. The bridge, consisting of one steel bar, supports the irons’ exceptional distance and terrific forgiveness.
If you like workability with your irons, theese provides a marvelous foundation for creating the shot height and shape. For golfers who want to draw their shots with their irons, these irons are well adept at handling the inside-out swing that produces the right to left shot shape.
The patented ECHO Damping System helps produce clean contact with an outrageously good feel. Instead of getting those jarring vibrations when the ball hits away from the center of the clubface, the dampening system secures the club for immediate response.
First, a slight warning for high handicappers and beginners, the SIM Max irons are not ideal for the inexperienced golfer. The learning curve to master these irons takes time and experience, so while they might not be great for this level of golfer now, that doesn’t mean they aren’t irons to strive for in the future.
With excellent strength, the TaylorMade SIM Max Irons provides fantastic distance with outstanding shotmaking capabilities.
Cleveland Launcher CBX Iron Set
Aptly named, excellent clubs
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KEY FEATURES
- Low center of gravity gets the ball up fast
- Good performance from the rough
- High ball speed
Cleveland is a company known primarily for their wedges, but with the Launcher CBX irons they’re making a big play in the iron market.
Most noticeable upon first glance is the extremely thick sole, putting a ton of weight in the bottom of the clubface to provide a low center of gravity. This results in a quick launch and high ball flight, with great backspin and forgiveness.
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Golfers who struggle to hit the ball high enough to clear water hazards and stop their ball on the green will find a lot to like here.
Thick sole for tough lies
The thick sole cuts through rough like a machete and digs the ball out of the grass. It also makes it possible to get the ball in the air from tight fairway and even hardpan lies.
Cleveland touts the “Cup Face” technology in the Launcher CBX irons, which increases the spring effect at impact and results in excellent ball speed off the clubface.
This helps heel and toe shots fly nearly as far as sweet spot strikes, though thin shots did see a noticeable distance loss in the long irons.
Looks
Speaking of the long irons, they’re a bit thicker than the short irons. Some golfers may actually find the thicker toplines increasing their confidence, but I found the look a little off-putting. It seemed to me like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be irons or hybrids. Ultimately, however, it’ll come down to your personal preference.
Cleveland’s special grooves
Cleveland wedges are well known for their zip-grooves and laser milling, which is why you see such high usage both on tour and among amateurs.
They’ve brought these features to these irons, maximizing the backspin produced and making it easier to get the ball to stay on the green. Zip grooves are micro-grooves in between the regular grooves you see on clubs, and they really help produce more spin than most amateurs are used to seeing. You might even find your 9 iron taking one hop and then sucking back a few inches.
Cleveland has a winner on their hands with the Launcher CBX: a combination of great forgiveness and distance with high ball flights and max spin that will benefit most golfers.
Callaway X Hot Iron Set
Best forgiving iron set for beginning golfers
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KEY FEATURES
- Incredibly long distance fueled by innovative undercut cavity design
- Perimeter-weighted for outstanding forgiveness without sacrificing feel or response
- Improved ball speed over other game improvement irons with Speed Frame Face feature
The Callaway X-Hot Iron Set produces exceptional forgiveness for golfers that are having a tough time hitting shots directly to their target area.
If you are looking for a set of super game improvement irons that will forgive your off-center strikes without losing that precious exit velocity that determines distance, then the X-Hot certainly fits that need and delivers first-rate performance.
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Distance over direction
The best feature of the X-Hot set that helps them achieve forgiveness is the Speed Frame Face technology. While the X-Hot is known primarily for its distance, the designers at Callaway crafted these irons to also provide more forgiveness to golfers. The way they achieved this feat is by using their current technology with their driver lines and modified it to be used on their set of irons.
During our testing, we were blown away by the X-Hot’s ability to handle our shots that drifted toward the toe. Not only did they stay relatively straight, but their distance stayed close to our average yardage.
Suited for mid and high handicappers
One minor complaint is the understanding that this iron set is suited for mid and high handicappers. Known as game-improvement irons, these cavity-backed clubs are perimeter-weighted to provide forgiveness and consistency, but not for shaping shots like low handicappers want for their irons.
If you are struggling with getting the ball into the air and keeping it along the target line, the Callaway X-Hot Iron Set is solidly built and well-designed to provide performance and overall improvement to your game.
TaylorMade SIM MAX OS Irons
Most Forgiving Irons for Mid Handicappers
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KEY FEATURES
- Oversized face offers wide sweet spot for ridiculously high forgiveness
- Deeper center of gravity provides high launch angle at impact with extra distance
- High spin rate creates shot-stopping power inside 150 yards with top-tier accuracy
The TaylorMade SIM MAX OS Irons offer marvelous forgiveness without sacrificing one yard of distance. These game improvement irons feature a large sweet spot that produce tall arcing shots that fly straight with soft landing and high spin.
The irons boast two features worth noting; the Speed Pocket and Speed Bridge. The Speed Pocket takes up the area behind the face that allows the hitting area to become flexible. This flexibility delivers more energy to the golf ball for increased ball speed for additional distance.
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The Speed Bridge is a bar that binds the back of the head, starting with the sole and connecting to the top edge. The bar produces enhanced feel, incredible distance, and outstanding sound. With a leading edge that creates exceptional turf interaction, these irons are built for speed and length.
Another worthwhile feature is the ECHO Damping System that reduces vibration. The solid feel instills confidence over time for golfers of all skill levels. For a distance iron, like the SIM MAX OS Irons, the improved feel is a delight.
These game improvement irons also feature the company’s thinnest face ever produced for more ball speed and forgiveness. When compared to the company’s M6 iron, the SIM MAX OS delivers more yardage.
While these irons don’t offer the workability of forged irons, for example, they do offer exceptional forgiveness. For high and mid handicappers, and even beginners, the SIM MAX OS Irons are unmatched in quality and innovation.
Offering staggering length, the SIM MAX OS Irons are worthy of consideration for golfers looking to improve their game from the fairway.
TaylorMade SIM MAX Combo Set
Best Iron/Hybrid Option for Mid Handicappers
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KEY FEATURES
- Thru-Slot Speed Bridge increases ball speed for more distance
- Flexible Speed Pocket improves forgiveness with boosted ball speed
- Ultra thin face delivers high velocity swing speed to golf ball
- V-steel sole offers outstanding turf interaction for crisp contact
- Speed Bridge stiffens the iron head for better consistency
For golfers in the market for a top-tier iron/hybrid combo, the TaylorMade SIM MAX Combo Set delivers consistency with jaw-dropping distance. The set, made with mid handicappers in mind, offers a wide range of TaylorMade’s best features for creating strong contact on swing after swing.
The set comes with two hybrids, a 19-degree and 22-degree, plus six irons starting with a 5-iron and running through a pitching wedge. For serious golfers, you will have to add a few more wedges to this set to make it complete, but the combo set makes a great foundation to build your collection around.
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Thru-Slot Speed Pocket
Just behind the face, TaylorMade has placed a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket that increases flexibility for better forgiveness and heightened ball speed. Along with the thin face, the widened sweet spot works with the speed pocket to increase exit velocity for more carry and extended yardage.
With both the irons and hybrids in this set, the increase in length can help golfers reach the green with shorter irons, helping boost consistency and minimize the side spin that takes shot off the target line.
ECHO Damping System
Another highlight of the set is the ECHO Damping System that reduces vibration and increases feel. As the ball leaves the face, you’ll find that the irons in this set deliver incredible response to help build confidence in your shotmaking.
With the hybrids, the low profile allows golfers to get under the golf ball for higher launch with solid feel and tight shot dispersion.
Far Reaching Distance with High Forgiveness
Together, both the irons and hybrids in this set offer extended distance with outstanding forgiveness. While the irons are not as oversized as the SIM MAX OS irons, the standard set delivers straight shots with a fair amount of workability.
A terrific set that offers a fabulous core for building the right collection of clubs for your game, the TaylorMade SIM MAX Combo Set provides marvelous quality to mid handicappers looking to make the jump to the next level.
Things to Consider When Buying the Most Forgiving Iron
Forgiveness
This article is intended to find the most forgiving iron sets available today, so obviously the first and most heavily weighted criterion is forgiveness.
Worth a max of 40 points, the forgiveness rating takes into account both distance and directional forgiveness on heel, toe, and thin shots. There’s not much a club can do to correct a chunk!
You may find one set more forgiving than another because you tend to miss your shots thin only, and so a low center-of-gravity iron would be perfect for you.
If your miss tends to be on the toe, you may want to find an oversized iron with a larger sweet spot. And if you tend to miss towards the heel and slice the ball, a club with an extreme offset might fit the bill.
Distance
If the forgiveness level between two clubs winds up being about equal, you’ll want to squeeze as much distance as you can out of each shot. The closer you can get to the green on a par 5 or a long par 4, the better chance you’ll have of making a good score. And wouldn’t you rather hit a 9-iron to a 150-yard par 3 than a 7-iron?
Hitting a club with more loft offers more backspin and thus more forgiveness and accuracy. So the distance potential of a club actually has a pretty big impact on the forgiveness level of an iron set. With this in mind, irons can earn a maximum of 30 points of distance rating.
Feel
The last three criteria will receive a maximum of ten points each. They’re the little things that can sometimes help tip the scales between otherwise closely matched iron sets. First up is feel.
Feel has two components: first is how the club feels when it strikes the ball. A good strike should feel smooth and buttery, almost like the ball just leapt off the clubface rather than being impacted by it.
Second is how it sounds. A lot of golfers don’t realize this until they hear a sound they don’t like at impact. A satisfying click will make an iron feel much better than a clunky thump, even if both shots turn out identically.
Feel plays a big part in your confidence. If you’ve hit a few great-feeling shots on the driving range before the round, you’ll play with more optimism and confidence.
Looks
I’m of the opinion that looks are overrated in the golf world. Many golfers fawn over shiny chrome forged blades, but are they really the best clubs? For 99.9% of players in the world, the answer is no. Henrik Stenson is considered one of the best and most consistent ball-strikers in the world, but even he uses cavity-back irons.
The loss of performance on even a slight mis-hit when you’re using blades is so drastic that I don’t recommend them for any golfers at all. The performance level of cavity-back irons is so high that I think every golfer will benefit from them at all levels.
I also think results can quickly change your opinion on a club’s looks. An “ugly” club that consistently hits the ball right at the flagstick will become beautiful in no time at all!
Durability
Durability for an iron set can be measured in a few different ways. All clubs will show bag chatter unless you use individual headcovers for each club (which I think is overkill — leave headcovers for woods, hybrids and putter only), but some forged clubs will look ten years old after just a few rounds played. Cast irons, on the other hand, might not feel as smooth but will show much less wear and tear even after a few seasons of play.
Grips will always wear down and should be replaced at minimum once a year, so unless there’s something horribly wrong with the grips, I won’t take them into account for durability.
Clubheads should be stable and secure in the shaft. Steel shafts will be more durable than graphite, but even graphite shafts should last for a decade or more. Since I’m only testing 2018 models, there will have to be an egregious lack of build quality to lose points in the durability category.
Questions & Answers
What is the difference between cast and forged irons?
Cast irons are made from molten metal poured into a mold. They take the shape of the mold and are then cooled. Cast irons are typically the most durable, but also the hardest feeling clubs.
Forged irons are made from a single piece of superheated metal that is shaped into the proper shape. This result in softer, better feeling irons but they wear out more quickly. Once the chrome veneer is worn off, the metal underneath will rust and the irons will need to be replaced.
Cast and forged irons can often be found in an iron set.
What’s the difference between steel and graphite shaft?
The difference between a steel and graphite shaft for golfers involves the weight of each material. A steel shaft weighs around 120 grams, while a graphite shaft runs anywhere from 50-85 grams.
Steel shafts are heavier than graphite shafts. Professional golfers and experienced players prefer steel shafts due to their stiffness and feel. While it may cost them a few yards in distance, these players have elevated swing speeds to compensate for the shaft’s weight difference.
Lighter graphite shafts, commonly found in clubs where distance is at a premium, create higher ball speed at impact. You’ll discover graphite shafts in drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids. In some instances, golfers prefer graphite shafts in their irons due to the increase in swing speed the material brings players that are struggling to generate distance.
High handicappers, beginners, senior, and women golfers, prefer graphite throughout their club set to help maintain swing speed and maximize length.
Cavity-back or blade?
Cavity-back irons are designed to have large sweet spots made possible by moving the weight of the club from the back of the iron to the perimeter. A blade (or muscleback) has the weight centered behind the sweet spot. This may sound nice, but you have to hit the ball purely every time. Miss the sweet spot by just a fraction of an inch and your ball will lose a ton of distance.
For this reason, I suggest cavity-backs for all levels of player. Even the best professionals don’t hit the sweet spot every time, and a cavity-back will help this mis-hits still make it close to the original target in a way that blades just can’t pull off.
What irons qualify as forgiving or a game-improvement set?
Game-improvement irons are typically very forgiving for golfers that need the help. Since most beginners and high handicappers struggle with consistency, a forgiving iron provides golfers the ability to get the ball into the air with a tight shot dispersion.
These shots translate into shorter birdie putts on the green or less wayward shots that need to be saved from rough and bunkers. Forgiving game-improvement irons, like the TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS and SIM MAX OS lines, give golfers the tool they need to keep the ball straight toward the target.
What makes the most forgiving irons?
A combination of design and innovation is responsible for forgiving irons. Take the M6 irons for example, the club’s Speed Bridge and Speed Pocket technology offer extended flexibility along the entire face to redirect off-center strikes without sacrificing accuracy or ball speed.
The biggest characteristic of a forgiving iron is the sweet spot. The larger the sweet spot, the more forgiving the iron will be for the golfer. Iron sets, like the TaylorMade SIM MAX OS, with oversized heads offer premium forgiveness.
What golfers should also understand is that forgiving irons usually do come at the cost of shot shaping. The goal of forgiving irons is to keep the ball high and straight for exceptional accuracy and distance.
Conclusion
The most forgiving irons on the market today all share similar characteristics that can add accuracy and precision to your game. These irons provide golfers of all skill levels with a massive sweet spot, better spin, and incredible shotmaking.
Our choice for the most forgiving irons, the TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS, offers golfers a wonderful complement of benefits including additional distance, more accuracy, and boosted forgiveness.
All of the iron sets on our list, including the highly capable TaylorMade SIM2 MAX OS, offers premium performance along with durability and reliability for golfers looking to buy a set that will last them several years.